Pig Production

The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many pig producers have left the industry during the 12 months to 31 December 1999.[HL630]

Baroness Hayman: Information in the form requested is not available. The available information relates to the number of main holdings in England with pigs at the June agricultural census, which were estimated to be 10,207 at June 1998 and 9,453 at June

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA42

1999. Holdings can continue with the same activities even though they change ownership and conversely can change their activities while continuing in the same farming business.

The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the annual tonnage of pig-meat and pig-meat products imported from countries in the European Union which import offal from the United Kingdom, for the last five years.[HL632]

Baroness Hayman: Official overseas trade statistics show that the annual tonnage of pig-meat and pig-meat products imported by the UK from countries in the European Union for 1994-98 and January to October 1999 were as shown in the table below.

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA41

UK imports of pig-meat and pig-meat products from EU 1994-98 and January to October 1999

Pork

Tonnes

Country

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Jan-Oct 1999

Denmark

41,545

46,468

53,106

47,118

57,630

56,107

Irish Republic

20,415

32,859

32,486

30,613

34,211

26,862

France

19,145

26,058

29,076

29,636

26,110

21,640

Netherlands

10,355

21,879

29,150

19,928

22,277

28,437

Belgium

7,304

9,674

11,807

6,741

5,712

9,324

Germany

4,706

4,895

6,016

6,501

8,058

10,709

Spain

968

996

2,194

3,006

842

2,130

Others

130

934

2,638

1,397

668

3,096

Total

104,569

143,763

166,475

144,940

155,509

158,305

Bacon and ham

Country

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Jan-Oct 1999

Denmark

117,241

113,518

110,887

117,321

106,457

79,074

Netherlands

88,905

89,289

130,648

99,839

105,033

89,552

Irish Republic

10,836

10,191

8,862

8,586

7,119

7,004

France

5,112

5,732

7,934

6,901

4,840

7,221

Germany

5,338

8,447

5,420

5,019

5,294

1,547

Italy

1,951

1,196

2,705

1,312

2,429

1,247

Belgium

717

2,588

1,788

755

640

434

Others

197

67

287

374

78

95

Total

230,298

231,029

268,531

240,108

231,890

186,175

Offal

Country

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Jan-Oct 1999

Denmark

12,739

13,523

12,383

12,497

12,256

10,256

Irish Republic

2,812

3,499

1,280

1,453

2,074

1,914

France

2,658

2,331

1,089

1,076

1,406

632

Netherlands

1,920

1,394

1,244

980

1,245

1,388

Germany

382

141

217

92

688

235

Belgium

190

303

100

180

227

104

Others

64

155

149

289

286

291

Total

20,765

21,346

16,463

16,567

18,182

14,822

Meat and offal
preparations

Country

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

Jan-Oct 1999

Denmark

35,609

31,856

30,759

28,604

32,092

16,747

Netherlands

31,329

30,740

33,656

27,152

30,973

17,355

Irish Republic

10,778

8,902

10,754

10,548

8,630

8,048

France

6,598

4,884

4,700

5,202

11,349

14,060

Germany

9,623

7,914

5,809

7,596

6,744

5,651

Belgium

10,403

11,475

5,165

4,315

4,203

3,087

Italy

2,499

2,038

1,884

1,938

1,848

1,810

Spain

747

553

642

928

936

801

Others

6

12

100

189

228

243

Total

107,593

98,374

93,469

86,472

97,004

67,802

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA43

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA43

Livestock Producers: Receiverships, Bankruptcies and Insolvencies

The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many livestock producers in the United Kingdom have gone into receivership in the 12 months to 31 December 1999 per sector of:

(a) pig production;

(b) beef production;

(c) dairy production;

(d) poultry production;

(e) sheep production; and

(f) mixed livestock production.[HL633]

Baroness Hayman: Data for receiverships, bankruptcies and insolvencies are not available by type of agricultural producer. However, in the 12 months to 30 June 1999, the total numbers of bankruptcies of self-employed individuals and company insolvencies (including partnerships) in the agricultural and horticultural sector of England and Wales were 190 and 71 respectively.

Plant Varieties of Agricultural Species

Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they are proposing to remove the restriction on the marketing of seed of a plant variety on a list of another member state corresponding to a British national list (contained in Regulation 31 of the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 1982), even where an application for its entry on a British national list is under consideration or has been refused.[HL773]

Baroness Hayman: This is necessary to implement amendments to Council Directive 70/457/EEC on the common catalogue of plant varieties of agricultural species adopted by the Council of Ministers in December 1998.

The effect of the changes is a plant variety may only be marketed if it is on a UK national list or the EC common catalogue.

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA44

Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group

The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to respond to the Report on the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group.[HL818]

Baroness Hayman: The government response to the report of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group was published on 1 February. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

Farm Incomes

Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the latest position on farm incomes.[HL826]

Baroness Hayman: Estimated figures show that total income from farming remains broadly unchanged in 1999 compared to 1998. The continued difficulties in the farming industry are as a result of lower prices for most agricultural commodities due to the over supply of commodity markets. The strength of sterling, which affects all sections of the economy, has also been a factor. Detailed estimates of the income, output and productivity of United Kingdom agriculture in 1999 were published on 31 January 1999 and were placed in the Library of the House.

Old Palace Yard Refurbishment

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:

Further to his Written Answer on 17 January (WA 141), what are the financial contributions to the £2.44 million Old Palace Yard refurbishment project promised by Westminster City Council, the Westminster Abbey authorities, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Royal Parks Agency, the Royal Fine Art Commission and the International Council for Monuments and Sites.[HL782]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): Westminster City Council has offered a financial contribution of £100,000.

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA45

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:

Whether there has been any increase in the estimated cost of the Old Palace Yard refurbishment project from the original estimate of £2.44 million; and what was the date of that estimate.[HL783]

The Chairman of Committees: There has been no increase in the estimated cost of the project, which was first calculated in July 1998.

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:

Which government departments have expressed support for the £2.44 million Old Palace Yard refurbishment project.[HL784]

2 Feb 2000 : Column WA46

The Chairman of Committees: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Royal Parks Agency and the Traffic Director for London.

Acts of Parliament: Printing Proposals

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:

Whether, when the House of Lords' Offices Committee considered the proposal to print Acts of Parliament on paper rather than vellum to save £30,000, details were made available about the job-loss implications of the proposal.[HL804]

The Chairman of Committees No. The primary concerns of the committee were the interests of the taxpayer and the service of the House.